DURING the middle of last Saturday night residents near Folly Bridge on the Thames at Oxford heard the roar of a vehicle then a crash followed by a splash.

They found a large white van sinking in the river, that had raced through the residential car park, smashed a concrete bollard and ended up in the water, Alan Tilbury reports.

Rescued by residents

The driver was rescued by the residents, with paramedics checking the driver and police then questioning the man.

The van however, now surrounded by buoys, is still in the water, with the driver being told he will have to pay to have it removed and the Environmental Agency have informed him they want it removing quickly, explaining:

Location closed

“To ensure boaters’ safety we have temporarily closed the river in that location until the van is removed and issued a Harbour Master’s Notice advising boaters of this."

It was ascertained that the sunken van posed a hazard to boats and a low risk of pollution.